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The Derby Silver Company is one of the numerous businesses whose name proved to be confusing and illustrates the close ties between the cities of Derby and Shelton. The main offices of the company were in the Birmingham section of Derby while the factory was in Shelton. (The building still stands on the left side where one enters Shelton from Derby over the bridge crossing the Housatonic River.)
The company was founded in 1873 by Edward N. Shelton, Watson J. Miller, and Thomas H. Newcomb. While the company began production in the flatware line and dabbled in sterling silver and pewter, it became best known for its silverplated hollowware. These pieces were especially popular during the Victorian period and were within the price range of many middle-class families.
The company merged with several other silver and silverplate manufacturers in 1898 to form the International Silver Company. The Shelton factory became known as "Factory B" and continued production until 1933 when it was consolidated with other plants in Meriden,CT as a result of the Great Depression.
The Shelton Historical Society owns several pieces produced by this company, some of which are on display in the exhibit "3 Centuries of Shelton." (click here)
The Huntington Piano Company was an affiliate of the Sterling Piano Company of Derby, Connecticut. The Huntington Piano Company is named after the town which preceded the City of Shelton. In 1894 the Sterling Piano Company recognized the need for an affordable piano, but didn't want to discredit its good reputation with an inexpensive product, and henceforth, the subsidiary was established. Huntington Piano was formed in Derby and moved to Shelton around 1897. The factory burned in 1922, after which the company closed.
Inside the lid on many pianos made after 1900 there is warranty information, a picture, and a testimonial letter. The picture is of Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), a Polish pianist, composer, and the Prime Minister of Poland in 1919. He was the Victorian era's version of a superstar and endorsed many products. By allowing his picture and letter to appear on Huntington Pianos he undoubtedly sold many pianos for the company.
The Shelton Historical Society has three Huntington Pianos in the collection, including one player piano.
The Shelton Basket Company was founded in Columbia, Connecticut in 1862. It was sold to employee Abraham H. Lavietes. Mr. Lavietes relocated the business to Shelton in 1911 to Maple Street for better distribution of finished goods. The company was well-known for its hand-drawn oak and ash splint baskets which were handcrafted by skilled workers. The majority of the baskets were destined for industrial use by manufacturers, farmers, and the oyster trade of Long Island Sound. The business later produced baskets for the retail market which were sold in high-end stores such as G. Fox, Marshal Fields, and Jordan Marsh.
In the early 1960's, the company was sold and relocated to Wisconsin. Shortly thereafter, it closed after a fire destroyed the factory.
The Shelton Historical Society has an extensive collection of Shelton Baskets and advertising material from the company. A Shelton basket is on display in the exhibit "3 Centuries of Shelton," and others are in the collection.
The City of Shelton is named after Edward Nelson Shelton (1818-1894). Mr. Shelton was one of the founders of the Ousatonic Water Company which built the dam across the Housatonic River and brought the Industrial Revolution to the area. He was also one of the founders of the Shelton Company, the first business to machine produce tacks in the United States. He served on the boards of numerous banks and was very involved in the Derby-Shelton Board of Trade, which helped promote the area and further its development.
Shelton became the accepted name of the borough of Huntington in the 1870's and by 1882 was its legal name. By 1919 the City of Shelton was officially established and the Town of Huntington was incorporated within it by popular vote.